Controller mechanism



K R. AKERLUND.

CONTROLLER MECHANISM.

?atented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

7/? an 2": 4k? 1 5 12 6/.

RENEWED JAN. 2.1920.

KW/Z? APPLlCATlON HLED DEC. 14, 1916- K. R. AKERLUND.

CONTROLLER MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14, I916- RENEWED JAN. 2. 1920.

1,357,672, Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Application filed December 14, 1916, seiial'ne. 136,942. Renewed January 2,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARL R. AKERLUND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONTROLLER MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL R. AKERLUND, citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Controller Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to controllers that are employed for initiating and discontinuing operations and is of particular service when used in connection with circuit controlling switches as by its use such switches may be set to establish circuits and open the same or otherwise establish alternative circuit conditions. One use to which I have put controllers of my invention is the operation of electric switches for establishing lighting circuits at the commencement of lighting periods and opening the same at the conclusion of such periods. In practising my invention I employ one motor, preferably a spring motor, which directly serves to effect desired regulation and which motor is provided with means for normally restraining its operation and for permitting its operation when it is to function. This means is desirably governed by a second motor that is also preferably a spring motor and which second motor also serves as a timing device to determine the intervals at which the first motor is to perform its function.

My invention has a variety of features and I will explain it fully by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment thereof as employed in connection with an electric switch that e is to be periodically operated or operated at predetermined times. In the drawings Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus of the invention, the cover of the containing case being removed and certain parts being shown by dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a view taken generally on line 2-2 of Fig. '1, parts being shown in' elevation for the sake of clearness; Fig. 3 is a view on line 3-3 of Fig-1; Fig.4 is a view on a larger scale of a part of the structure taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and Figs. 5,6 and 7 are detail views illustrating different positions of portions of the operating mechanism.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The instrumentality that is governed by Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

the device'of my invention is illustrated as being in the form of an electric switch, the switch shown including two circuit terminals 1, 2, that may be connected by a switch 1920. Serial No. 349,090.

1 and 2. An assembly plate 6 is fastened to i the inner end of the shaft 4 and has notches 7 that receive the pins 8 fixed upon a ratchet wheel 9 which is slipped upon the inner end of the shaft 4 but is caused to turn with said shaft owing to the engagement of the pins 8 with the assembly plate 6. A pawl 10 is mounted upon the outer face of the gear wheel 11 and cooperates with the ratchet wheel 9 to permit the shaft 4 to be turned by the thumb and finger piece 5 in one direction only. The pawl 10 also constitutes a motion transmitting connection between the gear wheel 11 and the ratchet wheel 9 whereby the gear wheel 11 (which turns in a clockwise direction) may turn said ratchet, this ratchet in turn operating the shaft 4 to the end that the contacts 1 and 2 may be either included in circuit or excluded from circuit according to the time of operation of said gear wheel. Any suitable motor may be employed for operatlng the gear wheel 11 at predetermined times,

. the motor illustrated being in the form of (not shown) whose inner end-is attached to the normally stationary key winding shaft 12 and whose outer end is attached to the spring' barrel 13, the shaft 12 carrylng a ratchet wheel 12 that is engaged by a pawl 12 the pawl operating to hold the shaft after it has been turned to wind the spring, as is well understood. The gear wheel 14 is fixed with respect to the revoluble spring barrel and is in mesh with the pinion 15 that is fixed upon the outer end of a shaft 16. Another pinion 17 is fixed upon the inner end of the shaft 16, this pinion 17 being in constant mesh w1th the gear 11. The inner end of the shaft 16 is loosely pivoted in the standard 18 While the outer end of this shaft is pivoted upon the shorter enter the latter hole.

arm of a bell crank 19. The longer arm of this bell crank carries at its extremity a pin 20 which is inwardly spring pressed to maintain'it within either one of the two holes 21 or 22 provided in the frame piece 23. When it is desired to disengage the pinion 15 from the gear 14 and thereby break connection between the aforesaid spring motor and the shaft 4, the pin head 24 is pulled upon outwardly to disengage the pin from the hole 21 whereafter the bell crank is turned in a counter-clockwise direction to bring the pin 20 into register with the hole 22 whereupon the 'pin head 24 1s released to permit the spring pressed pin to d When the bell crank is in this second adjustment the shaft 16 is inclined sufficiently to disengage the pinion 15 from the gear 14 whereupon the switching mechanism is dissociated from its spring motor.

The mechanism for normally holding the gear wheel 14'inactive is shown as being 1n the form' of a rotating element such as a brake drum 25 and a brake 26. The brake drum 25 is-driven by the gear wheel 14 through the intermediation of speed increasing and power reducing gears 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33. By means of this gearing the brake drum 25 is operated at a high rate of speed and with very low" torque, when the brake 26 is disengaged from said drum. Consequently very small braking pressure of the brake 26 upon drum 25 is required to stop the rotation of said drum and the operation of the gear 14 and its spring motor. A second motor, valso desirably a spring motor, isemployed to effect the removal of the brake 26 from the drum 25 and the reapplication of the brake to the drum. This second spring motor is also not shown, in detail, the frame 34 thereof being indicated in Fig. 2 while a pinion 35 and a gear 36 meshing with the pinion are shown in Fig. 1. The second springmotor desirably effects just one revolution of a controller wheel 37, normally fixed with respect to gear 36, during each twenty-four hours. The periphery of this controller wheel is desirably provided with ninety-six teeth 38 that are of the same size, it thus requiring fifteen minutes for the wheel 37 to turn exactly a tooth space. Radial marks desirably extend inwardly from the bases of the teeth, the longest of these radial marks being provided withdesignating numerals corresponding to the hour periods. For'thesake of clearness only a few of these radial marks areindicated. The controller wheel 37 and the gear wheel 36 are mounted upon the same shaft 39 (Fig. 4) whereby said gear and wheel turn together. The outer end of the shaft 39 is desirably threaded, this threaded end receiving a hand nut 40 whose inner neeaeee end clears the shaft 39 and has butt engagement with the wheel 37. The spring barrel 41 is fixed upon shaft 39 and contains a spring 42 by which the controller wheel 37 is maintained in engagement with the nut 40 and through the agency of saidnut with the shaft 39. Setting spring arms 43 and 44 are mounted to turn independently of each other about the shaft 39, the spring 42 also desirably maintaining frictional engagement between the controller wheel and said spring arms. Spring barrel 41 also carries springs 36 by which gear 36 is maintained in normally fixed relation with the spring barrel and the shaft 39. The outer ends of these spring arms carry pins 45, 46, each being receivable between any two adjacent teeth 38 whereby said arms employed if desired. When it is desired .to

change pin 45 or'pin 46 into anew location between other adjacent teeth 38, the spring arm carrying such pin is inwardly flexed.

sufficiently to remove such pin from the plane of the controller wheel whereupon the spring arm carrying such pin may be turned to bring the pin into its new location, the arm then being released to permit the pin to enter between the selected adjacent teeth 38. The spring arms also carry pins 47 and 48 that are adaptedv to operate in succession for releasing the brake 26. Mechanism whereby each of these pins may perform the brake releasing function is diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

The braking element 26 is mounted upon the end of one arm of the bell crank lever 49, the end of the other arm of this bell crank lever carrying a cam roller 50 that may ride upon theperiphery of a cam disk 51 that turns with the gear 14. This cam disk carries a series of cam rollers 52 that are adapted each to engage-an arm 53 and as the disk 51 turns in a clockwise direction the arm 53 is turned in a clockwise direction each time it is engaged by a roller 52. A brake applying spring or brake spring 54 connects the arm 53 with the longer arm of the bell crank49, this spring operating to apply the brake when'the roller 50 is clear of engagement with the cam disk, a condition which is normal and which arises when the roller 50 enters any one of the sufficiently large depressions 55 presented to it. Some recess or depression 55 is normally positioned to receive the roller 50 to permit of the normal application of the brake 26 due to the engagement of the stationary pin 56 (carried by the frame plate 23) with the holding pawl 57 which is pivotally mounted at 58 upon the arm 59 which is pivoted at 60 co-incidently with the hell crank 49. The arms 53 and 59 are in fixed relation and constitute what I term an arm structure. A spring 61 has one end in engagement with the pin 62 provided upon the arm 59 and has its other end inengagement with the pawl 57, the spring pressing upon the pawl 57 in a clockwise direction. When the brake is applied the pin 56 is caught in the catch 57 of the pawl 57 (Flg. 1) whereby the arm 59 that is connected .at 58 with the pawl 57 is held in a depressed position and as the arm 53 is in fixed relation with the arm 59 and forms part of an arm structure therewith, the arm 53 is put in its normally outer position in which arrangement of the parts the spring 54 (that is under increased tension due to the engagement of the pin 56 with the catch 57 will maintain the brake 26 in engagement with the drum 25, the roller 50 beingin some recess or depression 55. The pawl 57 thus constitutes an agency for normally maintaining or holding the application of the brake 26 to the rotating element 25. \Vhen the brake is to be released it is necessary to disc gage the pawl catch 57 from the pin 56 to permit the arm 59 and the accompanying arm 53 to rise and when these arms rise the enlargement 63 upon the arm 53 will engage the pin 64 upon the longer arm of the bell crank 49 to turn this bell crank in a clockwise direction to remove the brake 26 from the brake 25. The agency which forces the arms 53 and 59 to rise in order that the enlargement 63 may push the bell crank 49 in 'a clockwise direction desirably resides in a brake releasing spring 65 that engages a pin 66 upon the arms 53, the spring 65 thus directly operating upon the arm 53 or indirectly operating upon the arm 59 owing to the fixed relation. of these arms. ,The release of the pawl catch 57 from the stationary pin 56 is effected by each pin 47, 48 when it engages and operates the pawl 57 but the separation of the pawl catch from engagement with the pin occurs before the arms 53 and 59 are per-= mitted to rise for the sake of accuracy in operation. To this end the arm 59 is provided with a horn 67 whose tip is engaged by the operating pin 47 or 48 during the time that the pawl 57 is being released from the pin 56, the actuating pin 47 or 48 escaping the tip of the horn just when the fiat face of such pin and the point of the horn tip are in alinement with the center of the controller wheel 37 and in which alinement there is included the pin or 46 upon the arm 43 or 44 and which pin in turn is centrally disposed between a pair of adjacent teeth 38. Thus the arms 59 and 53 are free to rise (and are raised by the spring 65) just when the pin 45 or 46 has moved to a preselected position during tacts 1 and 2 after selected time interval. The switch therefor a preselected time. When these arms are thus raised the enlargement 63 engages pin 64 to release the brake as has been explained, and the gear 14 is thereupon operated to drive the shaft 4 to make or break the circuit that includes the contacts 1 and 2, as the case may be. Thus one pin'(say 47) may serve to connect the contacts 1 and 2 by the switch arm 3 at a certain period of the day to establish a lighting circuit, for example, and the other pin may be adjusted to separate the? switch arm 3 from the conthe expiration of a premay be operated automatically to establish a circuit at a certain hour and to open such circuit at another hour without manual attention. The operation of the switch shaft 4 occurs in the interval elapsed between the raising of the united arms 53- and 59 and the reception of the roller 50 in the next recess brought to such roller and when such new recess receives the roller 50 the brake 26 is applied. A roller 52 about reaches the left hand lower corner of the arm 53 when this arm and the arm 59 united therewith rise to the position illustrated in Fig. 6 so that just after these arms rise they are again partially lowered owing to the engagement of such roller 52 with the arm 53, a consequent relationship of parts being illustrated in Fig. 7.' Due to this action the pawl 57 is withdrawn from the path of the actuating. pin 47 or 48 and its catch 57 is lowered below the pin 56. After such roller 52 has thus operated upon the arm 53 it escapes the arm 53 to permit the spring to restore the arm to the position illustrated in Fig. l-in which position the catch 57 engages the pin 56 to hold the arm 53 in its normally outer position (Fig. 1) in which the brake spring 54 is under sufficient' tension to aIpply the brake 26 with proper pressure. 11 this readjustment of the parts the pawl 57 is thrown into the path of the succeeding pin 47 or 48 so that when this succeeding pin operates upon such pawl the switch shaft 4 will again be operated in the manner described. .In order that the spring 65 may be of considerable strength and may remain under tension when the brake is fully released I provide a stop 26 against which the spring 65 forces the bell crank 49. The spring 61 always maintains the pawl 57 in engagement with the pin 56 (excepting when a pin 47 or 48 is pressing the pawl in a counter-clockwise direction against the force of the spring 61) whether the pawl catch 57 be above or below the pin so that this pin also serves as a positioner for the pawl particularly when the pawl is in its normal pin 47 or 48 may engage it. The pawl 57 67 ,of the arm 59, the purpose of this pointer being toshow the location of the top of the born 67 that is concealed by the controller wheel 37. In correcting-the time of the operation of the controller wheel 37 this wheel may be maintained stationary while the spring motor that operates it is working and when this is to be done the catch 70 is released from the pin 71 on the lever 72 and the pin 7 3 upon this lever will enter between adjacent teeth 38 to hold the wheel 37 until the observer again engages the catch 70 with the pin 71. The shaft 39 has an annular recess 74 which receives one arm-of the bell crank 75, the other end of this bell crank being pulled upon by a spring 7 6 to main-- tain the bell crank insaid groove 74:. This bell crank is mounted upon a shaft 77 that carries an arm 78 having a pin 79. The shaft 60 carries an arm 80 that is adapted for engagement with the pin. 79. Whenever it is desired to withdraw the controller wheel mechanism shown in Fig. 4 from its association with the clock pinion 35 the nose 81 on the arm 59 is depressed to cause the arm 80 to engage the pin 79 thereby causing the shaft 77 to turn in a direction that will cause the removal-of the bell crank 7 5 from the slot 74.

ll reserve the right to present a separate application for patent upon certain features of my apparatus that do not necessarily involve the employment of two motors and also relating in particular to the toothed wheel and pointer and mechanism controlling the movement of this wheel and the bell crank and the pinion controlled thereby.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 1. Controller mechanism motor in actuating relation whose times of operation trolled; braking mechanism for normally preventing the operation oi-this motor and inclusive of a rotating element actuated by this motor and a brake for application to said rotating element; abell crank carrying the brake upon'one of its arms; a second motor; a cam disk operated by "the first motor and operating on the other arm of the including a to the element bell crank when the brake is released and also permitting movement of the bell crank and also permitting movement of crank when the are to be conemma when the brake is to be applied; a pin; a pawl provided with a catch that engages the pin during the application of the brake; a pivoted arm structure upon which said pawl is pivoted; a brake applying spring having one end connected with said arm structure and the other end connected with the bell crank; a brake releasing spring operating upon said arm structure which is adapted to operate upon the bell crank to remove the brakefrom said rotating element; and means operated by the second motor for engaging the pawl to releaseit from engagement with said pin to permit the brake releasing spring to release the brake.

2. Controller mechanism including a motor in actuating relation to the element whose times of operation are to be controlled; braking mechanism for normally preventing the operation of this motor and inclusive of a rotating element actuated by this motor and a brake for application to said rotating element; a bell crank carrying the brake upon oneof its arms; a second motor; a cam disk operated by the first motor and operating on the other arm of the bell crank when the brake is released the bell brake is to be applied; a pin; a pawl provided with a catch that enages thepin during the application of the rake; a ivoted arm structure upon which said paw spring having one end connected with said arm structure and the other end connected with the bell crank; a brake releasing spring operating upon said arm structure which is adapted to operate upon the bell crank to remove the brake from said rotating element; means operated by the second motor for engaging the pawl to release it from engagement with said pin to permit the brake releasing spring to'release the brake; and a cam element 52 carried upon said cam disk for engagin said arm structure when the awl catch 1s disengaged from said. pin to reestablish engagement between said pawl catch and pin.

Controller mechanism including a motor in actuating relation to the element whose times of operation are to be controlled; braking mechanism for normally preventing the operation of this motor and inclusive of a rotating element actuated by this motor and a brake for application to said rotating element; a second motor; a pin; a awl provided with a catch that engages t e pin during the application of the brake; a ivoted. arm structure upon whic said paw is pivoted; a brake applying spring having one end connected with said arm structure and with the brake; a brake releasing spring operating upon said arm structure which Iis is pivoted; a brake applying the other end connected adapted to operate upon the brake to release it; means operated by the second motor for engaging the pawl to release it from engagement with said pin to permit the brake releasing spring to release the brake; and a cam element 52 operated by the first motor for engaging said arm structure when the pawl catch is disengaged from said pin to reestablish engagement between said pawl catch and pin.

. Controller mechanism including a motor in actuating relation to the element whose times of operating are to be controlled; braking mechanism for normally preventing the operation of this motor and inclusive of a rotating element actuated by this motor and a brake for application to said rotating element; a second motor; a pin; a pawl provided with a catch that engages the pin during the application of the brake; a pivoted arm structure upon which said pawl is pivoted; a brake applying spring having one end connected with said arm structure and the other end connected with the brake; a brake releasing spring operating upon said arm structure which is adapted to operate upon the brake to release it; means operated by the second m0- tor for engaging the pawl to release it from engagement with said pin to permit the brake releasing spring to release the brake; and means operated by the first motor for reestablishing engagement between said pin and pawl catch.

5. Controller mechanism including a motor in actuating relation to the element whose times of operation are to be controlled; braking mechanism for normally preventing the operation of this motor and inclusive of a rotating element actuated by this motor and a brake for application to said rotating element; a second motor for effecting and timing the release of said brake; a pawl for normally maintaining the application of the brake to said rotating element, the second motor having means for engaging the pawl to release the brake; and cam mechanism controlled by the first motor for reapplying the brake and restoring the pawl to its brake holding relation.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this eighth day of December A. 1)., 1916.

KARL R. AKERLUND. 

